Down the Rabbit Hole

I've finally made it back home. With that, I am once again at full internet speed with a larger computer. What does that mean? It means I will no longer have to wait 4-8 hours to upload photos, which will make this whole blog thing much easier to manage.

So expect some post-adventuring posts to show up over the next few weeks. Today I thought I'd share a little bit of my overall experience working in the American Folklife Center itself...



This is the Adams Building, where all the magic happened. It was here that I worked on different projects for the LOC-AFC (that's Library of Congress American Folklife Center).

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It's a gorgeous building, with art and architecture in the Art Deco style. It's very different from the original Jefferson Building, which takes after a classical European style. I came to love the designs--especially all of the owls in the main reading room.

That window...second up and five from the right...that's where I spent most of my week. I loved the view from my desk. I had the only desk facing a window, so I was able to see all the people walking by, as well as the dome of the Jefferson. I caught some pretty impressive rain storms.

So what did I do there? I'm glad you asked. Here's a little som'm, som'm I wrote up for the Folklore Department newsletter:

On average, the Library of Congress receives 6,000 items a day to be sorted, catalogued, and archived. You can imagine, then, there is a constant influx of manuscripts, photographs, sound recordings, moving images, and various artifacts that make up “the stuff” found in the myriad projects and collections throughout the buildings and warehouses.

The American Folklife Center is only one section of the Library, and its goal is to collect and preserve living culture. It houses one of the largest collections of ethnographic materials in the world. As an intern, it was my job to help manage “the stuff” of three collections: Local Legacies, International Storytellers, and Voices of Civil Rights.

The Local Legacies project was created in 2000, in celebration of the Library of Congress Bicentennial. The Library asked each state to send information about local customs and celebrations—something unique to that particular region of the United States. The items in the collection have been sorted and catalogued, but the Center does not have a complete container list for the manuscripts, and had no accessible list for moving images and sound recordings. I spent the first half of each week creating these lists and was able to itemize 13 boxes of manuscripts, 38 boxes of moving images, and 642 sound recordings (audio cassettes and cds). Prior to the creation of these lists, it would take librarians a good amount of time to find the item a researcher requested. At the end of the summer, however, a librarian was able to locate a moving image for a researcher in less than two minutes, which was a tremendous help as the researcher was only able to be in DC for the day. Creating those lists felt monotonous at times, but I left feeling proud that I was able to directly help someone find the information they needed when it was needed.

The inventory lists for Local Legacies was in the collection’s final stages. However, the AFC agreed to house the International Storytellers collection as a new acquisition. The Center received quite a large amount of boxes from the organization; most of which have never been opened. I was able to help in the very first steps of this collection by rehousing “the stuff.” I sorted through fliers, programs, photographs, slides, CDs, cassettes, books, artifacts—each box a surprise. It was my job to go through the items and decide how to group them together in a more manageable way. It was a messy job at times, but it was interesting to learn how important those first steps are in creating a workable collection.

My favorite part of the week, though, was working with the Voices of Civil Rights project. In 2004, AARP (working with the Library) toured the United States recording interviews with people who wanted to tell their Civil Rights experience. My job was to listen to these sound recordings and write little blurbs detailing the important dates, names, and events in each interview. The Library hopes to create a searchable database of these interviews, and these descriptions will help researchers sort through the thousands of recordings in order to find only those pertaining to their topic. These stories were devastating, moving, and extraordinary. I learned more about the Civil Rights Movement in those interviews than I have in my entire educational experience. I was able to listen to 300 interviews and was amazed at the painful experiences these people went through. I was more amazed, though, at the level of hope and joy expressed over and over again. It was an experience for which I will always be grateful.

Working in the Library of Congress was like wandering through my own little corner of Wonderland. It was at times intimidating, thrilling, beautiful, and utterly surreal. Hopefully one day I’ll have the opportunity to wander through again.

Today's Metro-venture

Most days the DC Metro is just a nice, boring ride into or out of the DC area. I switch trains, sometimes I stand, sometimes I sit, and sometime (just to shake things up a bit) I take the long train. People smell (good and bad), kids climb and hang from the handrails, and sometimes I'm lucky enough to see a bevy of beautiful men in uniform.

But some days, like today, there are more interesting goings-on. They're small, but unique enough to take note. On the ride in to work I spied with my little eye a Benedict Cumberbatch look-alike on the opposite platform. He very much looked like this:

I must say, it was an awfully nice way to start my day. 

After boarding the train, I watched as a police officer went back and forth from the conductor to a gentleman seated next to where I was standing. As I had my earbuds in, I had no idea what was going on. One stop later, a metro worker got on and dismantled the man's seat so he could retrieve his cell phone. I have no idea why the police were involved, but I got to listen to the metro worker dress down the rider. I felt a little bad for the guy, as it was obviously an accident. But he handled the chastisement well, I thought. I would have been embarrassed. 

Finally, as I got of the train at Capitol South, I walked by a small swarm of journalists outside the Capitol Hill Club. I tried to figure out who they were interviewing and why, but I didn't recognize the guy talking. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a Congressman or Senator (as the swarm wasn't big enough for that level of government), so I just walked by. It was the first time I witnessed that, though, so it was kind of cool.

Fingers crossed for the ride home...

Snakes don't walk, they...

I just overheard the single greatest hall conversation I've come across in DC yet. Picture two children (20-somethings) walking along with their mother. They are having a very deep, philosophical discussion about their family...

Girl: I just think our family fits into that particular group of people better.

Mom: But aren't they supposed to be pretty bad?

Boy: Umm...not necessarily.

Girl: Yeah, if you looked up their true values, you know, what they actually stand for, you'd see that they're all about leadership and making your own opportunities happen.

Mom: Then why does everyone think they're bad guys?

Boy: Well, there have been some pretty bad people who came out of it, but those are just a few of the bigger group, you know?

Girl: Yeah, our family might be a little mixed, but still...if we were going to belong to any of them, we'd definitely be in Slytherin.


Day. Made.

Folklife Festival

A Tiny Trip Across the Globe

This week saw the start of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, held on the National Mall. Each year there are different countries showcased, with this year's countries being Kenya and China.

Normally three countries are featured, but this year (I believe due to budget cuts) the festival is smaller. Even though the event is not very large, it has some pretty amazing offerings--especially given that I may not get to China or Kenya for quite some time.

~KENYA~

Let's talk food:

Those people coming to the festival expecting funnel cake and corn dogs will be somewhat disappointed. There are several food tents in each country's section. The first Kenyan dish I tasted were these beauties, called mahamri. They are: Fluffy donut-like dessert astry made with coconut milk and cardamom spice. They had me intrigued at coconut milk and sold at cardamom. I wouldn't call them "fluffy" necessarily (they're definitely more bread than donut), but they were tasty! The coconut was barely there, but the cardamom hit all the right notes--not too heavy, not too light.

The second day I decided to go for the full deal. I chose an upland Kenyan dish called Mbuzi Mchuzi. Translation: goat stew. Why goat stew, you ask? Why not?! I'm pretty daring when it comes to trying new dishes, and this had it all. Foreign meat, ugali (basically a corn meal) and spinach sautéed with onions, and something called coconut  cream. Of all these dishes, I expected to hate the spinach and love the coconut cream. Not so much. 

The spinach was actually pretty good, but the coconut cream was the consistency of cold, dry but slightly tacky mashed potatoes with a rubbery skin on the top. The taste wasn't horrible, but after a couple of bites my mouth got that pre-hurl mouth water sensation and I wasn't really going to find out if that was going down. I question whether or not it was prepared correctly.

The stew itself was amazing. I discovered that goat tastes a lot like lamb, but slightly more gamy. The meat was fall-apart-when-you-touch-it tender, and the gravy was savory and nicely rounded with seasoning. The dish even came complete with bones. 

Yes. That is a thigh and hip bone. Ball-and-socket joint!

Artistry: 

One of the more visually arresting elements on the Kenyan side is this grass hut. It's being slowly constructed over the course of the next week. These are just some of the women building the structure. 

Honestly, standing on the top of a ladder, reaching high above their heads while tying poles together does not really sound all that fun. I got dizzy just watching. But this lovely woman was up there without a care in the world, and doing a beautiful job. 

There are several tents set up showing off different traditional arts found in Kenya. There's wood carving, stone sculptures, plaster work, a shipyard, recycling art, textiles, and bead work. The bead works are gorgeous. Earrings, necklaces, baskets, headdresses, clothing, and these beautiful candle holders:

I was amazed by the intricate details, all using tiny, tiny beads. The women were showing the level of skill required in order to make these pieces. 

I can't even imagine trying to thread these things. Thousands and thousand of tiny beads in order to make these items. Amazing.

Another large structure on the Kenyan side is this boat. It is a typical sailing boat used by coastal fishermen. It's not only functional, but it also has beautiful carvings on the bow.  

(Please excuse the background.)
 

This is a group of storytellers performing for a small crowd. I didn't catch the beginning of the story, but it was about Hare and Hyena--planting and harvesting crops. Hare continually tricks Hyena into harvesting the inedible portion of the crop, and Hyena learns to choose his friends more wisely. 

I attempted to upload the video--but my computing device is giving me grief. Perhaps later?

I also saw these three Kenyan Wildlife Service workers lead a discussion about the wildlife preserves, safari, and poaching issues. They said the best season for going on safari is all year long. 

http://www.kws.org

They spoke about their work in educating their people about protecting the wildlife. They are helping people understand that owning their country's wildlife is extremely important, and can be more valuable than owning cattle or camels.

Their session was moving, and is making me rethink my plans to go to Europe next summer. Who knows...maybe I'll go on safari instead! Check out the link for more information.

~CHINA~

Entertainment:

I haven't tasted the food in the Chinese area yet, but I did watch some pretty cool performances. I caught the tail end of a puppeteering act Thursday afternoon. I saw a puppeteer master make a marionette draw a sword from its back, wield it in traditional Chinese form, then sheath it. Absolutely blown away. 

Later that night I stayed for the evening performance on the main Chinese stage. I listened to these traditional Dong singers and musicians, and my favorite number was the Cuckoo song. I didn't get to record it, but if you go here you cann  hear it: Cuckoo Song. I have no idea if the words scrolling across the video are offensive. So if you can read Chinese...keep that in mind.  

The next performers were a group of dancers, singers, and musicians of the Miao people. Their headdresses were amazing. They had dangling silver beads all over their dresses, ankles, and in their hair. Basically they jingled as they walked and dance. 

I wish I knew what this particular song was called. Her voice was very beautiful, and the performance was stirring. All I know about it is that it was a love song.

She was very graceful as she sung, which made it all the more appealing.

This was the end of a dance performance that mimicked the movements of the Golden Pheasant. The girls moved around the stage in bird-like steps, fluttering their arms like wings. It was adorable.

Also-- note the male photographer on the right. He made watching this group very, very difficult. He often stood at center stage, blocking most good shots (especially because he was pretty tall). Rude. If only he heard the murmurings of the people around me. 

The men here are seen playing wooden/bamboo flutes that are pretty much like giant mouth organs. Each tube has its own reed, and by covering the openings with their fingers, the musicians caused the reeds to vibrate. 

They make a beautiful sound. If I can ever get videos to post, I'll put them up.

The girls are also playing instruments, but these are flutes that produce one note. Each is tuned specifically to be used in a given number. 

All in all, the festival has definitely been a highlight here in DC. It runs through July 6, so I will probably be back several more times to catch more acts, and to wander through the Chinese section some more.

And just for a certain someone:

Hey look! Segways! Hope they have parking. ;)

It's been a couple of weeks already, I know...

I've been in DC for two and a half weeks now, and I already feel like I've shed my "new tourist" smell. People stop to ask me for directions, I volunteer to help confused people on the street corners, and I can read a Metro map like a seasoned pro. I've even gone so far as to figure out the bus system (for the most part), which is a step further than my four roommates, who apparently like walking the two miles to get groceries. I could do without the humidity, thank you.

The Library of Congress is amazing. The buildings are enormous, and can become very confusing. Luckily I've learned to read signage very well, especially down in the tunnels. I'm currently working on two projects: Local Legacies, and Voices of Civil Rights. I'm just doing container lists (writing box inventories) for Local Legacies, but have come across some interesting information about various states. For instance, did you know there is a Spam Festival in Minnesota? A famous sandwich called a spiedie ("spee-dee") in New York? And a prehistoric earthworks called Poverty Point in Louisiana? Or that the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games have been held in North Carolina for the past 58 years? There are more kinds of crazy festivals than you can imagine all across the country.

The other project I'm working on (Voices of Civil Rights) is the more interesting of the two. I'm listening to interviews from people who participated in, or remember, incidents from the Civil Rights Movement. I am writing brief descriptions of the topics, people, place, dates, etc. within the interview. Basically I'm writing blurbs that will go along with the files when they are put on the LOC website. The stories are heartbreaking, sickening, enraging, and yet compelling in their pride and optimism. There are some interviews already available on the website, and I'd encourage everyone to check it out. I honestly feel like I've learned more about the movement in the past two weeks than I did throughout my entire education. It's become personal and real in a way I've never experienced. You can visit the website here: Civil Rights History Project.

I will be posting pictures soon, and telling you all about the places I've visited so far. If you have any recommendations for places to see, things to do, or food to eat -- leave me a comment.

A Blog Too Late...

I've been puzzling for two months trying to come up with a name for this blog when inspiration finally struck. I created it, got it all set to go, and then found out there is another "The Traveling Nomes" on Blogspot (minus the dashes). Seriously?? *sigh* So, please be aware that we are not the same person--though I'm sure her blog is great.

-N Bee